New paint can help sell a house

LOS ANGELES - A fresh coat of paint to cover up minor marks, dings and faded spots on walls can often mean the difference between a potential buyer walking away or offering a contract, said Deborah Myers, a painting contractor in the LA area.

A house that’s been occupied for a long time will probably have faded paint spots. This is noticeable with wall hangings are taken down. The people living there never noticed this because of the pictures or mirrors.

Ms. Myers said that’s just the way things happen. Because the wall has uneven exposure, the paint will fade and color shift unevenly. The only correction is new paint.

“Real estate agents have called me when they have a home to sell that needs painting work. They tell me the house must have painting work done,” she said. “Sometimes the paint is needed to cover old paint and sometimes it’s needed to cover up a really bad paint job.”

While there are no guarantees, Myers said painting work generally adds a bit more value to the home than the cost of the work. Sometimes it’s a break-even proposition, she said.

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